


Your Voice

by SilverScaler3000



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Language of Thorns - Leigh Bardugo, The Little Mermaid (1989), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Bargaining, Bondage, Cecaelia Loki, Confessions, Curses, Disability, Dubious Consent, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Guilt, Healing Elixir, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, M/M, Magic, Merman Tony Stark, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Non-Consensual Touching, Odin's A+ Parenting, Paralysis, Pining, Sea Witch Loki, Slow Burn, Tentacles, Threats of Violence, Unrequited Love, shark attack, underwater library, unrequited pining (until it isn't)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-06-11 18:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScaler3000/pseuds/SilverScaler3000
Summary: “I’ll do anything if you agree to help him.”“Anything?” the voice purred from the depths of the cave.When Rhodey becomes paralyzed after a shark attack, Tony blames himself. Determined to fix his mistakes, he seeks out the dreaded Sea Witch, Loki, to help him right his wrongs. With nothing to offer but himself, he promises an unknown payment to the trickster in exchange for something that will help his friend. But the price, he discovers, is far more horrible than anything he could have ever imagined...Or is it?





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally thought of this fic at one in the morning today. I started writing it while I was at summer school, and, well, things... escalated, to put it nicely. Once I started, I just couldn't stop. I really hope you all enjoy it given this is my first FrostIron fic, and it's one of my favorite ships. Enjoy!!!

“ _This is so_ ** _stupid_** _,_ ” Tony muttered for the hundredth time that day.

His tail curled reflexively, a force of habit for when he was nervous and wasn’t moving. The small shift caused the dim sunlight shining through the water’s surface to reflect off of his scales, hitting the entrance to the cave with little rays of red light. They made its dark entrance look only minisculely less creepy, in Tony’s opinion. He winced, forcing himself to hold still. If he wasn’t careful his tail would attract unwanted attention from predators; an unfortunate side effect of having a mostly ruby red tail with a few gold scales tossed in. Why couldn’t he have hatched with a green one like most other merpeople? Then at least he could hide in the tall sea grasses growing outside the cave’s entrance if he felt threatened.

He sighed, rubbing his arms. If he didn’t hurry someone was going to realize that he was gone, and it wouldn’t take a seagull-brain like Clint to figure out just  _what_ he had gotten into his head to do.

He was going to try to make a deal with the Sea Witch,  _Loki_.

“Why the actual fuck is his name ‘Loki’?” Tony muttered to himself. “Of all the impossibly creepy names a person could have…” he trailed off, sighing again.

He was stalling, he knew he was stalling, but he couldn’t help it. What he was doing was stupid. Even more stupid than what had gotten him into the situation in the first place. He groaned, gritting his teeth as he focused at the task at hand. He wasn’t just going to swim away like a guppy.

_Not when Rhodey needed him._

Taking a deep breath, he gave one strong flex of his tail and entered the cave.

 

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of emerald green eyes were already watching him from within. Their owner smiled sinisterly, his tentacles beginning to writhe in anticipation.

 _This should be_   ** _fun_** _..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I only spent a few hours writing this (chapter one, I broke this bit off for the prologue), and I don't expect it to be perfect, but I think I turned out quite nicely! If you notice any grammatical mistakes please let me know (the app I have on my chrome book can only help me so much), and if you have any suggestions for tags I will gladly use them.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment and Kudos me, I'd REALLY appreciate it.
> 
> Read ya later!!!


	2. Part 1: Rhodey's Tail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody's, your friendly neighborhood Silver - I will also except Silv, btw - has returned! I have survived 2 weeks, 10 hours a day, marching band camp (I can't feel my everything...)
> 
> I hope you're all ready for this chapter, I worked REALLY hard on it. Seriously I can't remember the last time I wrote so many pages at once, I rarely get hit with a creative boost like this. I don't know when I'll have chapter two up, but for now, bask in the glory that is chapter one!!!  
> (also, special thanks to Mila_Black for pointing out what a Cecaelia is, AND for the love and support I got from all my other commenters. This chapter is dedicated especially to you - I hope it's satisfactory!)

“Pepper, would you please _stop_ guppying me? I’m  _fine!_ ”

Pepper smiled down Rhodey, shaking her head fondly at him. “You still need help changing the kelp on your tail,” she told him sternly, checking yesterday's carefully while the merman laid on a moss-covered rock.

There wasn’t any sign of blood leaking out of them today, and Pepper hummed happily at that. She also hadn’t seen any signs that Rhodey had tried to get around on his own again. Combine those two things, and Pepper knew Rhodey must have finally just relaxed like everyone kept telling him to.

Rhodey’s cave was simple, the section he had made for a sleeping room even more so. Merpeople often filled their homes with whatever they collected, more often than not opting to keep it simple in case they needed to relocate for any reason. In Rhodey’s case, his cave held assorted rocks, corals, and… spears. Lots, and  _lots_ , of spears. Most were made of large sticks or pieces of coral that were bound together with seaweed, and had sharp rocks - or sometimes even shells - tied on the ends of them. Others were constructed of pieces of lost land dwellers possessions, jagged… metal? Glass? Shining threateningly on their ends. Some were even made entirely of polished stone; precious gems embedded in them to create a striking appearance.

And nearly all of them had been created by Tony.

For years, since they were all merchildren really, Rhodey had been the one Tony would come to, something new he had created in hand. He would beg - although it wasn’t really necessary - for his best friend to test it for him, while their other friends watched with interest. Usually it would be spears, mostly because that was the Stark family trade  _and_ because Rhodey actually enjoyed using them; whether it be for combat or sport. Occasionally though, Tony would bring in odd bits and pieces, inventions that no one in the ocean save for him could possibly understand. Pepper had always struggled to connect with Tony on that level, but that didn’t change the fact that she loved the things he created, loved seeing his face light up with joy every time he showed something new off.

Since the attack, however, Tony hadn’t created anything…

“I do  _not_ need help,” Rhodey protested, snapping Pepper out of her thoughts. “C’mon Pep, just hand me the kelp and I’ll figure it out. Bandaging my own tail is not a trial by whirlpool!” He blushed as Pepper’s fingers traced over his tail gently, slowly removing the kelp used to cover the shark bites. He could barely feel anything in his tail anymore, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing to have her touching him so intimately, despite the fact she was one of his best friends and had a crush on Tony besides.

Pepper couldn’t help but giggle at her friend, and at his mock glare she rolled her eyes and continued to remove the kelp from his tail. Honestly, he could be such a seahorse sometimes; too proud for his own good. The state of his home only further proved her point in Pepper’s opinion. Everything in Rhodey’s cave looked crisp and military, nothing out of place in the small cavern. Even the  _sand_ on the floor was smoothed to perfection. Pepper had tended to snort at that, but it was always affectionate snorts. Let it never be said that Rhodey Rhodes let anything stand in his way, not even in his current…  _condition_. The merman still held himself to a standard of professionalism, his paralyzed tail be damned.

Which, while admirable, made it especially difficult to take care of him.

“I’m  _serious_ Pep,” he practically whined as she began unwrapping the final layer of kelp, “I can handle this on my own. Get outta my cave, grab Tony and the gang by their gills, and go have some fun!”

She tsked at him, her orange tail twitching and catching in the light from the small holes drilled into the walls and from the glow in the dark jellyfish that Rhodey, like most merpeople, kept in their homes for just this purpose. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily Rhodey,” she said, not even glancing up from what she was doing.

Rhodey sighed, forcing himself to relax. He watched with growing anxiety as Pepper finally pulled the last strip of kelp away and caught sight of his tail. She frowned unhappily, and Rhodey closed his eyes. He didn’t bother to look down at his now dull, bent and torn silver tail; to look down at the area’s where he knew he was missing large patches of scales, the skin tinged an angry red. Rhodey knew it was bad - no, more than bad,  _horrible_ , and he didn’t need the reminder. The fact it wasn’t bleeding again  _was_ great, keeping predators from smelling him was always important, but that didn’t change the fact his once powerful tail was a mangled mess.

Rhodey opened his eyes, and he watched as Pepper clucked her tongue in an attempt to hide the sad sigh she obviously wanted to give off.

“You’re staring again,” he said bluntly with a bitterness that he couldn’t quite keep from slipping into his tone.

“I am not!” Pepper snapped, her tail flexing angrily. At Rhodey’s wince, she immediately regretted the action, and she looked down at the sandy floor, rubbing her arms guiltily. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“It’s fine,” Rhodey said tiredly.

“It’s really not. Now, hold still while I get some fresh kelp,” she told him firmly. Pepper patted his tail gently and then swam back about a foot, looking around the small cave for the medical supplies Rhodey always kept handy.

The merman nodded. “Okay, but then I want you out Pepper Potts, and that’s an _order_.”

Pepper couldn’t help but crack a small grin at that. “I’m not one of your lieutenants Rhodey,” she reminded him teasingly. “You don’t get to order me around. I’m staying, and there’s nothing you can say that’s going to make me change my mind.

Rhodey groaned, glaring at her. “Pepper, _honest to Triton_ , I will live if you leave me alone for one day! There’s a full moon out tonight, drag Tony’s tail out to the cove and enjoy the waves with him.”

Pepper paused at that, clearly tempted. After a moment though she sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Do you really think I don’t want to?” she asked, swimming over to the shelves the freshly cut kelp was stored on. “The only reason Tony agreed to go home and get some rest was if I agreed to come guppysit you.”

Rhodey frowned harder at that, nodding begrudgingly. “I know,” he said with a sigh, watching as Pepper collected the kelp. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, stating, softly, “Tony blames himself for what happened, doesn’t he.”

Pepper froze for a brief instant, picking up on the fact that what Rhodey said was clearly more a statement than a question. She bit her cheek, thinking. After a moment she shook her head, continuing to gather the kelp into her arms. “He definitely feels  _guilty_ about it,” she said carefully, “But no, I wouldn’t say he blames himself. He doesn’t…”

Pepper trailed off, and Rhodey cocked an eyebrow at her. “Pepper, we’ve known each other since we were merchildren. Do you really think I can’t tell when you’re lying?

Pepper was about to insist that she _wasn’t_ lying, that Tony  _didn’t_ blame himself, that he  _wasn’t_ looking like he hadn’t been sleeping or that he hadn’t been eating well, for  _weeks_ , when a noise outside the cave caught her’s and Rhodey’s attention, making their heads snapped up.

“Tony!?” a voice shouted, and a moment later Clint and Wanda both swam into the cave, both merpeople out of breath.

“For the love of…” Clint panted, coughing a little, “ _Triton_ , please,  ** _please_** tell us, tell us you-”

“That you know where Tony is!” Wanda cut in, grasping Pepper’s forearm.

Pepper’s brow knit in confusion. “What do you mean? He’s in his cave, isn’t he?”

“We went to go check up on him,” Clint said, looking downcast. “He wasn’t there. We’ve checked everywhere he would go, the cove, the palace barracks, even his old man’s cave.” he swam over and rested himself against Rhodey’s rock. “Everywhere, except…”

“Except where?” Pepper asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Loki’s domain.”

The room went dead silent. Pepper’s heart flew to her throat, then down to her stomach, beating in an eratic taboo that made her want to be sick. She could vaguely hear Rhodey trying vainly to come up with other places Tony could have gone, but Pepper could hear, even though the blood pounding in her ears, just how  _wrong_ Rhodey knew he was. His tone was flat, carrying not even a drop of real hope in it.

No, they all knew where Tony was, what he was about to  _do_.

Pushing roughly past Clint and Natasha, Pepper swam out of the cave as fast as she could. The sunlight shining through the water shone on the coral garden outside the entrance to Rhodey’s home, but Pepper ignored it  _and_ the fish she startled as she shot in the direction of the cove poetically named - not for its creepy appearance or even the sharks and giant squid known to prowl it -  _Terrifiant Cove_. She could hear Wanda and Clint shouting after her, but Pepper ignored them, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to keep up. She had always been the fastest swimmer in their odd group, and she would use that  _and_ the fact that the others were either too winded or couldn’t swim  _at all,_ to her advantage. She wouldn’t let them stop her. Pepper had to get to Tony, she wouldn’t,  _couldn’t_ let him bargain with that demon! She swam harder, each stroke of her tail more desperate than the last.

 _No, oh no. No, no no no!_ **_Tony-_ **

 

 

_~oOo~_

 

 

“My name is Anthony Edward Stark, and I wish to make a bargain with the Sea Witch, Loki.”

Tony had announced this loudly, but as it echoed back feebly it made it him feel much smaller than he already did on a normal basis. He scowled.  _His tail was not that short!_ Everyone else just happened to have a tail that was longer than six feet-

He shook his head, returning his focus to the chamber he was peering into. Loki’s cave contained a vast network of tunnels, and it had taken him a  _ridiculously_ long some time to find, what he believed to be, one of the main chambers. The tunnels themselves had been gigantic, big enough to fit a couple of beluga’s, but this, in Tony’s opinion, was absolutely, without a doubt...

 _Insane_.

The room was gigantic, practically the size of the cove he and the others, especially Pepper, loved to explore. There was a small opening in the ceiling somewhere high above him; too high for Tony to see. Sunlight was streaming in gently from it, shedding light on a rather large black pot, a  _cauldron_ , that sat in the middle of the chamber, intricate runes painted on its sides. They didn’t resemble any written language or symbols Tony had ever seen before, and he tilted his head to the side, studying them from where he hung back at the entrance of the cave intently. His eyes followed the runes as they danced across the metal surface, some of them curled over the lip of the cauldron, almost like…

_Tentacles._

Tony frowned as he stared at it, and he hoped and prayed to Triton that, if the redness of them was anything to go by, they weren’t scrawled in blood like he suspected.

The space the cauldron sat in was the only area in the room that was well lit, and Tony shuddered at the thought of just who, or what could be lurking in the shadows. The water hardly moved in here, and that felt wrong to him. A large space like this, the water should be teeming with the life of the sea; the merpeople, fish and other sea creatures inhabiting it giving the water a sort of  _spark_ , one Tony had been missing dearly since he had first entered Loki’s cave.

He rubbed his arms, shivering as his eyes took in what the room did offer. Shelves, which had clearly been carved intricately into the marble walls, probably for decades, stretched high above him. Some light did reflect off of the glass jars along the walls, providing him with a few more details in the room, but this was only a minimal comfort. Not a single crack or crevice was empty in this part of the cave, and Tony felt himself pale at some of their contents; his heart dropping into his stomach as he tried not to fidget. Jars containing papers; scrolls that were written in a language Tony didn’t recognize lined one end, symbols scratched out and rewritten. Other jars were filled with odd colored sand, liquids that floated at the top of their jars rather than the bottom, or even odd assortments of shells and seaweeds. Tony wasn’t really looking at those though. No, his eyes were focused on the jars containing dark liquids that seemed to move towards him from their glass confines, as if they sensed his presence. He shivered, trying not to pay to much attention to them.

 _Creepy,_ he thought.

Not willing to go further, lest he risk upsetting the Sea Witch, Tony had decided to stop where he was and to try getting Loki’s attention by…

Shouting into his home.

 _Loudly_ , Tony might add.

A trespasser, who had absolutely no business entering Loki’s cave, and had nothing with him to serve as protection besides his own wit and charm, which were both comical at best.

Yeah, great plan Stark. Howard would be  _proud_.

He waited patiently by the opening to the chamber, but when nothing happened a little while after he shouted, Tony frowned, confused. “Hello?” the merman called out tentatively. “Anyone there?”

No response.

 _Where in the great sea’s is this guy?_ Tony thought. He couldn’t bring himself to fucking care that this entire chamber screamed ‘I’m a demon who could kill you in an instant in probably the most horrifying way possible’. He had come here to get help for Rhodey, and nothing or no one was going to stand in his way. Tony waited for a moment longer, listening carefully. The room remained quiet, and the merman clenched his fists as dread began to sink into the pit of his stomach. “ _Hello!?_ ” he shouted again.

Silence.

Tony snarled in frustration, hitting the cave wall as hard as he could with his fist. “Shit!” he hissed. “Damn it.”

Tony felt like he was going to be sick. He had come here, _for_ ** _nothing!_ ** How could he justify swimming back empty-handed, even when the other’s hadn’t wanted him to come here in the first place? A sob threatened to escape his mouth, and Tony clenched his jaw. What was he going to do  _now!?_

“ ** _Who dares to enter my cave?_** ”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...comment and kudos.  
>  I have nothing else to say, other than seriously HELP I'M SO BAD AT TAGGING GIVE ME IDEA'S PEOPLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Thank-koo come again!!!


	3. Part 2: Bargain with a Cecaelia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I decided to cut chapter two in half so I don't feel like I'm letting you down by only having 6 pages done for the next part, instead of 14 (which, YEESH, what was I thinking). 
> 
> The next chapter is up, so if you've already read up to the deal Tony makes with Loki, head on over to the next part!

Tony gasped as the question echoed in the cave, the reverberation hitting his body almost violently. He whirled around quickly, ready to try uselessly to defend himself, and-

There was no one there?

“Where are you?” Tony asked shakily. The unknown person, presumably Loki, laughed darkly, and Tony fought the urge to cover his ears against the horrible noise. That voice, it sounded like it was coming from… everywhere?

“ _I’m the one asking questions,_ ** _merman_** _,_ ” The word was spat with disgust, and Tony had never once in his life felt so ashamed to be a member of his species as he did now. “ _Now answer me,_ ” the voice demanded, “ _Or I shall have to assume you are a thief and deal with you accordingly._ ”

“I… I-I’m,” Tony swallowed, cursing himself for stuttering. “My name is Anthony Stark,” he said, steadier, “And I’m here seeking to bargain with the Sea Witch, Loki.”

“ _Interesting,_ ” the voice murmured, their tone beginning to settle on the edge of boredom. “ _And what, pray tell, do you have to bargain with? I am not interested in any currency you may carry._ ”

Tony sighed. “I know,” he said. It would be  _so_ much easier if the Sea Witch did. But just because the Stark’s fortune couldn’t pay for Loki’s help, didn’t mean  _he_ couldn’t pay it, which-

“Which is why I offer myself to you.” Tony said.

There was a long pause. “ _Yourself?_ ” the voice inquired, sounding intrigued.

“Yes,” Tony said, “I’ll do anything you ask me to.  _If,_ ” he said pointedly, “You agree to help my friend.”

“ ** _Anything?_** ” the voice purred.

Tony shuddered involuntarily, but nodded, trusting that despite the fact he couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from, its owner could see him clearly. “Anything,” he repeated, the taste of the word foul in his mouth.

Tony blinked in surprise as a pebble floated down past him, landing with a little  _clack_ on the marble of the cave's floor. Tony glanced up, and he started violently with a gasp as he caught sight of a pair of green eyes staring down back at him. They narrowed minutely, then seemed to grow larger and larger. A head slowly emerged from the shadows and into the sunlight, followed by a neck; shoulders. Long, flowing black hair framed a slender face down pale skin, darker than even the raven feathers Clint kept in his collection. Tony’s stomach coiled unpleasantly as Loki’s top half finally emerged from above him, out of the shadows and into the light of the cave. He grinned toothily at the merman, the sharp tips gleaming menacingly.

“Well,” he said with a slight tilt of his head, “What a  _tempting_ offer that certainly is.”

He twisted as he moved forward, and Tony paled slightly as his the rest of his body was revealed. Inky black tentacles hung Loki from the ceiling, individually grabbing onto the bumpy surface and holding Loki above Tony as he moved closer to the merman. _Cecelia,_ Tony’s mind supplied, watching with terrified fascination as the Sea Witch continued to get closer. He kept spinning with his tentacles, shockingly silent for such a large sea creature; somehow managing to not stir the water all that much. Tony found himself utterly captivated as he watched Loki’s hair flow around his face in the water, brushing against sharp cheekbones and making his green eyes seem all the brighter. After a few moments, Loki paused, snapping Tony from his trance as he stared down at him from where he rested on the ceiling.

“It’s been  _such_ a long time since anyone has dared enter my domain,” the Sea Witch murmured silkily, his tentacles abruptly loosening their hold on the ceiling. He landed tentacles first on the floor a few feet in front of Tony. “Decades, in fact.”

Tony swallowed, clenching his fists so they wouldn’t tremble as the Sea Witch continued to draw closer still, eyeing him hungrily. He moved slowly, giving Tony ample time to swim away, but Tony didn’t budge. Finally, Loki came to a stop, his face only mere inches from Tony’s.

“You must be  _truly_ desperate to come to me for help,” he said haughtily.

Tony fought the urge to swim back a few strokes, staring Loki boldly in the eyes. “I am,” he stated firmly.

Loki grinned, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared superiorly at him. “So tell me, little merman,” he purred, “What sort of bargain were you hoping to make? What is it you desire, _my dear?_ ”

Tony felt himself blush at the term of endearment, but he shook it off quickly, refusing to be daunted by the famed  _silver-tongue’s_ words. “It’s my friend, Rhodey. He’s paralyzed from the waist down, and it’s…” he paused, looking at his own tail in shame. “ _It’s all my fault,_ ” he whispered, throat tight; barely loud enough for Loki to hear him.

This was the first time he had admitted it aloud, and it made Tony want to take one of his spears and shove it into his own chest. By all rights, it should be  _him_ paralyzed from the waist down. It was all because of him, because he was too guppy headed to listen to reason. All his fault. His fault…

“I  _see_ ,” the Sea Witch said with mock thoughtfulness. “And you wish to gain my assistance in helping him, yes?”

Tony looked up, his gaze determined. “I’ll do whatever it takes for him to swim again.” Loki chuckled, and Tony frowned angrily. “And just what’s so funny?” he demanded.

Loki shook his head, swimming back to one of the walls. With a powerful flex of his tentacles, he launched himself to a shelf high up in his cave. While Tony watched, the Sea Witch began rifling through bottles of assorted tonics and potions while shouting down to the merman, “You merpeople are so…  _misguided_ , with your loyalties,” he said, holding one vial with what appeared to be eyeballs in it into the light before putting it back. “Your life spans, while certainly longer than a filthy  _land person’s_ , are still so incredibly short. A paralyzed tail will only shorten your friend's lifespan by a few short decades, give or take a few years depending on how long until those who helped him recover leave him to his own devices as they carry on with their own lives. Is this whole endeavor really worth the trouble?”

Tony frowned, fighting the urge to snarl at the accusation that any of his friends, much less himself, would  _ever_ abandon Rhodey. “If you’re really asking that, then why the riptide are you getting me what I need?” he shot back, crossing his arms as he glared up at the Cecelia.

Loki looked down, smirking knowingly at him. “Because if the resolve in your eyes is anything to go by,” he said, “I know that no warning myself or any others may present you with shall weaken your resolve. I am merely stating facts I know are doomed to fall upon deaf ears. Now,” he said, swimming back down, something wrapped tightly in his tentacle. “In exchange for what I want, I will grant you this tonic.”

Loki’s tentacle extended out to Tony and began uncoiling itself slowly. Tony’s eyes widened as he finally caught sight of a small vial containing a golden liquid, holding a hand up to his face to block his eyes from the sudden brightness of it.

“ _Essence of the Golden Corral,_ ” Loki stated proudly when Tony had finally adjusted to it. “Not enough to make your friend immortal, mind you, but powerful all the same. It will not only cure him of his paralysis, but also any other ailments that hinder him.”

Tony’s eyes widened, his mouth falling open in shock as he stared at the vial. The Golden Cor- as in  ** _the_  ** _Golden Coral!?_ The coral that only the Selkie Idunn had the power to cultivate and harvest? The coral that was essentially, if one believed the legends, supposed to not only be a cure-all but also grant longevity? **_That_ ** _Golden Coral!?_

He reached forward to grab it from Loki’s outstretched tentacle, but he paused, drawing his hand back to his side. “So what’s the catch?” he asked suspiciously. “What exactly do you want in exchange if you give this to me?”

Loki chuckled again, a sound that made Tony want to swim away desperately. As if sensing his intentions, a black tentacle wrapped itself around Tony’s wrist, pulling him forward. Tony didn’t struggle, but he tensed as Loki leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “Now what fun would it be if I told you what I wanted?” he asked coyly.

Tony shivered as Loki pulled back, releasing his wrist with what Tony would have called - if he hadn’t known any better - a caress of the Sea Witch’s tentacle.

Loki flicked his hand with a slight flourish, and a parchment appeared in the water, along with a fish skeleton Tony assumed he was meant to sign the contract with. The top of it read in bold letters ‘I hereby grant unto Loki, Witch of the Sea, any payment of his choice that is of equal value to what is being offered: one vile of _Essence of the Golden Corral_ ’. Under that, the details of the contract were laid out in a smaller text, with a line for Tony to sign his name on the bottom.

“How is this not getting wet?” Tony asked in fascination as he grabbed it, feeling the dry paper with his fingers softly. He rarely went up to the surface, but on the rare occasion that Tony did, unlike most sea creatures he enjoyed the sensation of dry objects; rocks warmed by the sun, his own skin as the moisture and dampness of the ocean left him. Touching something dry underwater was a novel, and Tony could feel his curiosity peaking at the feeling as his fingertips grazed it gently.

“Magic,” Loki supplied unhelpfully with a shrug, not looking the least bit interested in further answering Tony’s question. Tony scowled at him.

“You’re a cryptic bastard, aren’t cha?” he asked without even thinking. What he said clicked with him a second later, and Tony froze.  _Oh, Triton have mercy on me…_

There were hundreds of stories depicting Loki’s rage, each one of them more gruesome than the last. Tales of him turning those who had insulted him into some kind of bizarre plant, or of him pulling merpeople apart limb from limb with his strong tentacles. Tony knew with a sinking feeling that he was about to become the next horror story for young merchildren to learn from. He closed his eyes, waiting for what was sure to be an excruciating death.

To his surprise, however, nothing happened. He glanced up, confused, and what he saw startled him. Loki looked astonished, but not, to Tony’s immense relief, pissed to the point of ripping him to shreds. If anything he looked more like a real merperson, and less, less like…

Like a  _monster._

After a moment though the smirk returned, stronger than before, and Tony chose not to question why he looked pleased in some twisted way. Giving him a nervous look, Tony swam over to the light and read through the document carefully, looking for any loopholes or other ways the well-known trickster might try to screw him over. After deeming it as fair a bargain as he was going to get, Tony glanced over at Loki, who was watching him quietly.

“I accept these terms,” he said hesitantly.

“Excellent,” Loki said, his tentacles writhing with Tony could only assume was anticipation. “Oh, and one last thing I forgot to mention…” He reached a tentacle forward and tugged at Tony’s wrist again, bringing them face to face once more. “The contract must be signed in blood,” he explained, baring his fangs and smiling toothily. “ _Your_ blood, to be precise.”

 _That_ made Tony react. “Yeah, how ‘bout  _fuck no?_ ” he said flatly, yanking his hand out of the tentacles grasp and holding it close to his chest.

Loki laughed, and much to Tony’s horror began circling him predatorily. “I’m not asking you to cut your tail off, Anthony,” he began, “You need not act like I am asking you to forsake a limb.”

Tony tried followed his movements closely, but it was almost impossible with all those tentacles. The moved in a swirling mass, making it impossible to see any of them individually. Tony could swear some of them were brushing lightly against his tail, but he was too focused on Loki’s face to bother with them.

“A simple prick on the finger will do quite nicely,” the Cecelia all but purred, “I do not require that harm yourself in any way that might permanently damage you.” Tony still looked unsure, and Loki laughed. “What? Do you believe it will activate my so-called ‘carnal’ desires?” Loki smiled, licking his pointed teeth. “I can assure you, little merman…”

That time Tony  _definitely_ felt a tentacle run up his tail, brushing against the skin of his stomach before curling around his waist and drawing him closer to the Sea Witch.  

“I have no intention of harming you.” Loki breathed, his nose less than an inch from brushing against Tony’s. “You’ve read the contract, you know I will be magically bound to this deal. Unless you fail to uphold your end of the bargain, you shall receive what you desire. There is no reason for you to hesitate.  _Unless-_ ”

Loki grabbed Tony by the chin with his hand, his eyes narrowed at the merman, “You do not, in fact, wish to help your friend?” he challenged with an eyebrow raised.

Tony swallowed. “I do,” he said resolutely.

“Then what’s holding you back?”

To Tony’s immense relief, Loki let go of him and swam back a few feet, giving the merman some much needed space. Taking a deep breath, Tony forced himself to smirk confidently at the Sea Witch, refusing to back down now. “Nothing,” he said, trying to match Loki’s self-righteous attitude.

With that, he grabbed the fish skeleton still floating next to him, and used it to prick his finger. He hissed, watching as a few drops leaked out and mixed with the water, making it smell like copper. He glanced up at Loki, but other than a slight dilation of his eyes the Cecelia didn’t react beyond nodding his head encouragingly. Gripping it tighter, Tony brought the skeleton to the parchment, mindful of Loki’s eyes boring into him, and began to press it down on the paper-

“ _Tony_ ** _don’t!_** ” a voice shrieked.

Tony dropped the fish skeleton and whirled around, staring in shock as Pepper came tearing into the cave, her orange tail a flashing dangerously as she caught sight of Loki. “ _Pepper?_ ” he asked incredulously.

Loki rushed past him in a blur of black tentacles, and before Tony could even blink he had one of his hands around Pepper’s throat; her arms and tail pinned to one of the walls of the cave. Using his other hand, he conjured a ball of green fire -  _fucking magic_ , Tony cursed inwardly - and snarled at her, baring his fangs. “How dare you intrude in my dwelling and interrupt a deal I’m about to make!” he shouted.

Pepper tried to struggle, but Loki’s grip was too tight. She began gasping, and horror found its way into Tony’s chest as she stopped breathing altogether. “Stop!” he screamed, swimming over to them as fast as he could. Just as he was about to reach for the arm holding Pepper’s throat, however, a tentacle latched onto the bottom of his tail, and Tony gasped as Loki flipped him upside down in the water, holding him there.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, Anthony,” Loki spoke calmly, as if they were simply discussing how nice the reef looked today as he brought the flames closer to Pepper’s face. “I simply need to take care of this… _pest_.” he hissed.

He squeezed her neck tighter, and Tony watched in horror as Pepper’s lips started to turn blue, her eyes becoming glassy. “No!” he shouted, thrashing in Loki’s iron-like grip. It was useless though, the tentacle was too strong. Every time he moved, it only squeezed tighter, making him gasp in pain. This was too much like before, like what happened  _that day_ ; when merpeople Tony didn’t even know had held him back while he helplessly watched as Rhodey was, was…

He sagged uselessly, staring in despair at Pepper as the life was seemingly squeezed out of her. “ _Please,_ ” he said desperately.

Loki paused, and he looked at Tony from over his shoulder, still not releasing Pepper or bringing the fire away from her face.

“Please,  _please_ don’t hurt her,” Tony begged, wincing as his father's voice echoed in his mind.  _Starks are made of iron_. That had always been one of Howard’s favorite sayings. He had told Tony this often enough to have it permanently engraved in his head. A Stark wasn’t supposed to be weak. They had to put their duties above their feelings, to never let themselves be dragged down by their emotions. But Tony knew better than anyone that iron, like most metals, could  _rust_. They could weaken under stress and become bent; crooked. They could be  _melted_ , melded into any shape a skilled blacksmith desired. Tony pushed Howard’s useless saying out of his conscience. He didn’t care that the old merman would have thought it was pathetic for him to beg; he would gladly lay on the ocean floor and plead for any of his friends.

“Please,” Tony whispered again. “Please…”

Loki frowned, and Tony held his breath as Pepper’s eyes continued to grow duller. After a moment of what appeared to be contemplation, Loki doused the fire from his right hand and removed his left one from Pepper’s throat. She gasped, coughing and hacking as she began to breathe again. Tony sighed with relief, sagging in Loki’s hold. The tentacle began to slip from his tail, but it tightened again when Tony tried to swim to Pepper.

“Enough distractions,” Loki said, green eyes flashing dangerously. “Sign the contract, Anthony, before I further lose my patience,” he emphasized his point by wrapping another tentacle threateningly around Pepper’s middle, her arms and tail still held securely in his hold.

Tony scowled but nodded. He swam over to where the document was and picked up the fish skeleton again, giving one final hopeless glance to Pepper. With shaking fingers, he began to slowly scrawl his name.

“Tony, Tony please _stop,_ ” Pepper whimpered, making Tony pause halfway through writing Edward. A second later she hissed in pain, and Tony knew Loki had probably tightened his hold on her.

Tony bit his cheek as he struggled with what to say to his friend. “You shouldn’t have come Pepper,” he finally said quietly, continuing to slowly scroll his name.

“But Tony-” she gasped, her voice strained as Loki’s tentacles cut off her oxygen again.

“ _No!_ ” Tony shouted, whirling around to face her. “It’s  _my_ _fault_ Rhodey’s like this,” he said, pointing accusingly at his own chest. “ _My fault_ he can’t swim! If it weren’t for me he’d be fine. I came here because I wanted to, and now I am going to fix this, damn it!”

Pepper’s eyes went red, and Tony could smell an extra saltiness in the water. He winced, realizing she was crying. “W-what did you promise him?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

At that Tony looked down shame, refusing to meet her eyes. “I promised to do whatever he wants me to in exchange for something that’ll help Rhodey,” he whispered softly, raising his head to meet her gaze almost pleadingly. “And… he hasn’t exactly  _specified_ what that’ll be,” he told her, trying and failing to keep the guilt out of his voice.

Pepper’s eyes widened, and Tony winced as she began thrashing frantically in Loki’s hold. “What the Triton are you thinking Tony!?” She demanded, either ignoring or not even noticing the additional tentacles Loki was wrapping around her tail to make her hold still. “What if he makes you do something horrible!?”

Tony clenched his fists, staring hard at the fish skeleton still clutched tightly in his hand. “I’ve done so much I regret Pep,” he whispered. “So many mistakes that I’ll never be able to fix. I’ve hurt so many people unintentionally, and I’ve never once been able to atone for any of it. But this?” he said, “This I can do. For once, I can clean up my own mess; I can make up for my mistake. I know you want to talk me out of it, but it’s too late now. I’ve made up my mind. So just let me do this. Ok?”

He turned his back on her, staring hard at the contract. “I have to at least atone for this.” With that, he finished signing the contract. His name began to glow, and Tony shouted in alarm, covering his face with his arms and shutting his eyes tightly as the contract blinded him with a brilliant white flash. When he blinked his eyes open, he was startled to find the contract had vanished.

“ _Finally,_ ” Loki nearly snarled, releasing Pepper with obvious disgust.

Immediately she swam over to Tony, and they embraced each other fiercely. “You’re such a fool,” she hissed with a sob, clutching him tightly. It lacked any real bite though, and Tony chuckled humorlessly.

“You don’t say? Good grief Ms. Pott’s, this is hardly new information. Perhaps we should take you to see Bruce later, get that head of yours examined.” Pepper laughed, a choked, broken thing, and hugged him tighter.

Loki made a disgusted noise from where he was, but they both ignored him. After a minute Pepper glanced down, and she frowned in confusion. “Tony, what’s that on your wrist?” she asked, grabbing his hand.

Glancing down in confusion, Tony’s eyes widened. On his right wrist, Tony was wearing what appeared to be a bracelet of some kind. It was made of solid gold, green highlights flashing brightly in intricate patterns and runes across its surface. A green emerald the size of Tony’s thumbnail sat at the center of it, radiating a warm glow. The jewel seemed to have an aura of its own, drawing his eyes into it and holding them there.

After a moment though a thought struck him, and Tony’s mouth fell open soundlessly. He looked up at the black cauldron, then back down at his wrist. The runes on the bracelet were green instead of red, smaller and a bit more complex than those on the cauldron, but without a doubt were exactly the same. Grasping at it with his left hand, Tony tried - a bit desperately perhaps, but really who could blame him - to pull it off, but it was as if it was welded against his skin. He hissed as one of his nails broke, but that only made him claw at it even more desperately. His skin began to turn red around the edges of the gold, but the bracelet still refused to even budge. “What the fucking  _siren song!?_ ” Tony swore.

Loki laughed cruelly, and both Tony and Pepper’s heads snapped up to stare in horror at him. “My price, Anthony Stark,” the Seas Witch explained slowly, his grin feral and absolutely terrifying, “Is that in exchange for the potion that will heal your friends tail, thus saving his life, no doubt, yours now belongs…”

The emerald on the bracelet began to glow brightly, and Tony gasped as he was seemingly pulled violently by it to the Sea Witch, who grasped and held him possessively in both his arms and his tentacles.

“ _To_ ** _me_** _._ ”


	4. Part 3: You Need Not Fear Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so so so so so so so so so SOOOOOoooooooooooo sooooorrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> That took WAY longer than it should have. Enjoy!

_“Tony, Tony you have to get out of here!”_

_Tony shook his head vehemently, continuing to pack the kelp into Rhodey’s tail. There was so much blood in the water it was making it difficult for him to see what he was doing, and the smell and taste of it was so overpowering that Tony thought he might be sick. He ignored both of those things, however, driven by a desperate need to make the bleeding_ **_stop_ ** _._

_“Tony, Tony please,” Rhodey tried again, but Tony barely even registered what his friend was saying. He was too distracted by the sight of Rhodey’s normally silver scales turning a rusty hue around the bite marks; the blood continuing to mix sluggishly in the water. “Tony, you have to leave me behind.”_

_“No!” Tony hissed sharply. He couldn’t leave Rhodey like this, he had to make Rhodey’s tail stop bleeding. Had to make it stop. Rhodey’s tail, stop. He had to make it-_

_Rhodey shouted in alarm, and Tony whirled around with a spear in hand just in time to stop a shark - how the fuck had it gotten into the shipwreck!? - from biting his head off. He swung blindly at it, ducking as it shot past. It crashed into the wall behind him, and Tony went after it, not giving it the chance to turn around and come at them again. He hit it on the nose with an angry shout, stunning it momentarily, then drove the spearhead straight down through its skull. It flailed violently, making Tony lose his grip on the spear handle, before going completely still, it’s black eyes staring blankly at Tony through the haze of bloody salt water._

_Tony turned back around, his heart flying to his throat as he stared at his best friend. Rhodey’s skin was turning ashen, his breathing labored as more blood mixed into the water. He was sagging in the land dweller chair Tony had dragged him to, eyes falling shut as unconsciousness slowly dragged him in. Tony swam back over, snapping his fingers in front of Rhodey’s face. “Don’t you_ **_dare_ ** _close your eyes, Rhodey,” he demanded, ignoring Rhodey’s whine of protest as Tony started packing the kelp again. “C’mon Jellyfish, stay with me. Everything’s going to be okay.”_

 _Everything was_ **_not_ ** _going to be okay._

_No one knew that they were gone, and even if they did, they wouldn’t think to come looking for them here. Help wasn’t coming, help that Tony would give his tail for-_

_He grimaced, continuing to pack kelp into Rhodey’s tail._ ** _Bad Metaphor_** _,_ _he thought._

_It was almost night time, and there were so many sharks…_

_Triton, how could Tony have been so fucking stupid!?_

_“Tony, get out of here!” Rhodey insisted, trying to push Tony’s hands away, his eyes starting to turn glassy as fatigue and blood loss finally caught up with him. “They can smell my blood, you have to go, you can’t just-”_

_“_ ** _I’m not leaving without you!_** _”_   _Tony snapped._

_At that moment a huge CRASH made their heads snap up, and they both stared in horror at a great white that had managed to bash its way into the sunken ship they had been hiding in. Through the newly created hole in the wooden hull, Tony could see half a dozen more circling dangerously close, the one inside honing in on them instantly._

_“No,” Tony whispered. He swam back to the dead shark, grabbing the spear handle and yanking it._

_It was stuck fast._

_He whipped his head back up and swore as he saw the shark drawing closer. He doubled his efforts, but the spear held. The shark was ignoring him though, more focused on the source of the blood. Tony watched as Rhodey tried weakly to move, to escape, pushing himself out of the chair a second too late as the shark opened its jaws-_

 

Tony sat up with a strangled gasp, reaching a hand out blindly to protect his friend. “Rhodey!” he cried. The merman blinked in confusion. This, this wasn’t the sunken ship. Where was he? What happened to the sharks? To Rhodey!?

The reality that he had been dreaming slowly sank in, and Tony curled in on himself, sobbing quietly. He hadn’t had that nightmare for a while, and he’d been hoping that maybe he never would again. The first few times it had happened, he had needed to swim straight to Rhodey’s cave to prove to himself that his friend was alright, that he wasn’t-

He shuddered. Riptides, he could still feel the warmth of Rhodey’s blood in the water around him. He felt unclean, that he would never be able to wash all traces of that horrible day from his hands, the hands that had done both equal parts create and destroy.

Once he had calmed down Tony glanced up, eyes darting around as he took in all the - or rather the very obvious lack of - details of the room he was in. It looked like a cave, but not one that the merman recognized. It was dark and silent, save for the sound of his own shuddering breaths, the water unnaturally still. Even the sand he was lying on didn’t feel familiar. It was harder and grainier than the white sand Tony used to line the floor of his cave, and it irritated his scales.

He frowned. “What the Triton?” he whispered.

 “Mmm, not quite.”

 Tony’s froze. That, that voice…

“ _Loki_ ,” Tony breathed, terror wrapping itself like an iron fist around his throat. Hesitantly, he glanced upwards, trying to pinpoint where exactly the Sea Witch was. The cave wasn’t very well lit, and the corners were covered in shadows.

“Over here, little merman.”

Letting the sound of the voice lead his gaze, Tony finally caught sight of him, and the merman swore he could feel his stomach drop to the bottom of his tail.

The Cecaelian was peering down at him from an entrance that Tony had somehow failed to notice before, leaning languidly against the side of the wall. The second Tony’s brown eyes met Loki’s green one’s the Sea Witch smirked, and Tony watched as they pushed themselves forwards from the entrance, drifting tentacles first to the sandy floor. As soon as he had settled on the ground, Loki grinned at the Tony, showing off his pointed teeth.

“I see you’re finally awake, Anthony,” they said, chuckling darkly.

Tony shivered, frozen in place as he stared at the sea creature in front of him, not even daring to breathe as the Cecaelian began swimming towards him. The way his tentacles moved so gracefully in the water, it reminded Tony of an oil spill he saw once. Deceptively beautiful, yet carrying an underlying threat of death to any sea creature foolish enough to let themselves breathe it in. He held perfectly still, trying not to visibly shake as the small currents created from the mass of tentacles getting closer to him brushed his scales.

“I was beginning to think you would never come to after falling unconscious the way you did,” Loki said, a hint of mocking in his tone. “After all, not even your annoying friend’s screams could arouse you.”

Tony blinked. After a moment realization stabbed him in the stomach like a cold knife, and terror twisted it sharply.  _Pepper!_

He opened his mouth to snarl at the Sea Witch, to demand to know what he had done to her, but Loki gave him a look that made Tony’s mouth shut with a click of his teeth.

“I have not harmed the mermaid,” Loki growled with a roll of his eyes. “Even though she most certainly deserved it, what with the fuss she put up after you fainted like a delicate femm.”

Tony felt himself blush fiercely at the memory. After Loki had grabbed him, everything had gone dark, Pepper’s shrieks dissolving as his thoughts faded to nothing.

“She- she’s okay?” he asked, not even caring that his voice was beginning to waver.

Loki nodded in confirmation. “I merely sent her on her way with the vial. By now, it has most likely been administered to your friend.”

Tony sighed thankfully, then swallowed as the second half of what Loki had said registered with him.

_The vial._

Right. Tony had made a deal to help Rhodey, and now…

Now he was a slave to Loki.

Tony reached down with a shaking hand to feel his wrist, his eyes falling closed as his fingers brushed what he was looking for. The bracelet was still there, cold and metallic. He glanced down hesitently at it. The glint of the emerald was a painful reminder of what had occurred the day before, and he bit his cheek to hold back a sigh. Looking back up at the Cecaelian’s face, Tony winced as Loki’s eyes - their brilliant green hue matching that of the emeralds - stared back at him; cold and calculating. Tony swallowed hard, his mind spinning with all the different,  _horrible_ things the Sea Witch could decide to do to him.

A tentacle began to reach towards him, and flight or fight instincts had Tony scrambling backward. He barely managed to rise up from the sand he had been sitting on when Loki raised a hand in a clear sign for him to stop. “Be still,” he said, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I am only helping you up.”

With that, the tentacle wrapped itself around Tony’s wrist and slowly pulled him from the floor of the cave. The touch wasn't soft or gentle, but it also wasn't violent like Tony had been expecting despite Loki’s words of - what Tony supposed was meant to be - comfort. He shuddered as the Sea Witch began pulling him forwards towards him, but as Loki caught the flash of fear that flitted across Tony’s face he paused, frowning.

“You need not fear me, Anthony,” he murmured, sounding surprisingly gentle. “So long as you do not try to escape or disobey an order that I give, no harm shall come to you. You will also be provided with more adequate bedding, and food when you require it.”

There was an almost soothing quality to his voice that sounded genuine, but it did absolutely nothing to pacify Tony. “But, why?” he asked hesitantly, “Why are you doing this for me?”

Loki stared at him for a moment, appearing to be thinking, and after a moment he pulled Tony forward once more, closing the remaining distance between them as he slid a hand under the merman's jaw. He tilted Tony’s chin up, forcing him to look Loki in the eye. “I take care of what’s mine,” was all he said, and Tony struggled to not flush as Loki traced his thumb softly over his cheek; tentacles brushing almost lazily against his tail.

“Now come,” Loki ordered, letting go of Tony abruptly and moving up towards the opening he had entered from. He glanced over his shoulder, looking down at where Tony was still floating uncertainly in the water. “I do believe a tour is in order.”

He smiled disarmingly, a large contrast to the devious smirks Tony had grown accustomed to, but there was no mistaking the commanding tone his voice carried. Tony didn’t dare disobey, and he swam slowly after Loki, keeping his distance even as he stayed close enough for the Sea Witch to continue talking to him.

“Now, while there are a few caverns you are not allowed to enter, you have, for the most part, free reign of my home. I expect you to try to remain close to me so that if I have need of you, I don’t have to summon you through the charm on your wrist, but otherwise, you are free to do as you please in your spare time.”

“Alright,” Tony said, nodding. That sounded better than being confined to a cavern until the Sea Witch decided he wanted him for something. A thought struck Tony an instant later, and he stilled in the water. “Will I be allowed to leave the cave? To visit my pod?”

Loki paused at that, turning around to face him. His gaze held neither pity nor apology, but for a brief instant, Tony thought he caught a small flash of sympathy in the Cecilia’s eyes. “No, Anthony,” he said tersely. “Your purpose now is to serve me, nothing more.”

Tony swallowed past a lump in his throat, nodding. “Understood,” he murmured, eyes downcast.

Of all the things the Sea Witch could have demanded from him, a lifetime of service never would have occurred to Tony. Which was why, having needed to leave in secrecy, he didn’t say goodbye to anyone. And now...

Now he was never going to see his friends ever again.

The thought made Tony’s chest feel tight, and he had to bite his bottom lip to keep it from trembling. He also had to clear his throat quietly a few times. “So,” he began hedging once he was sure his voice wouldn’t crack, “What exactly do you expect me to do? How will I be-” he grimaced. “ _Servicing_ , you?”

Tony had a few ideas, if the way Loki had been touching him was anything to go by. He shivered at the thought. He… Triton, Tony hadn’t had that much physical contact since he and  _Steve_ were still in a relationship.

He cut off himself off from his own thoughts; accidentally bumping into a wall as they turned a corner. He coughed as a cloud of dust spread into the water, irritating his gills. Tony swam back and wrinkled his nose in disgust. Then again, maybe the sea witch simply wanted someone to clean his cave.

The idea seemed like a long shot, though.

“An excellent change of topic,” Loki said, not even glancing back at Tony. There was nothing in his tone to hint one way or the other, and Tony desperately wished the Cecilia had bothered to turn his head so he could have tried to read Loki’s expression. “This way.”

Tony swallowed. As they went deeper into the heart of Loki’s dwelling, Tony kept trying to listen for the sounds of suffering sea creatures, to watch for signs of the numerous captives Loki supposedly kept locked in cages; living ingredients. To his surprise - and soon, boredom as they kept swimming through the endless maze that was this Triton forsakenly huge cave - nothing here suggested anything malicious, or, well,  _evil_.

If not for the size - and the overabundance of dust, geez-louise Tony really hoped he wasn’t going to be spending the rest of his natural days cleaning this place - Tony would have thought that he was in one of his friend's caves. It just looked so…

 _Normal_.

It would have been a let down if not for the fact Tony still suspected he was about to become a pleasure slave.

The only thing that he couldn’t figure out, actually, was how the place was lit. The lighting in the cave wasn’t natural, and Tony honestly couldn’t pinpoint its source. He opened his mouth to ask, when Loki paused in front of an entrance that had green seaweed draping across it in a curtain, blocking whatever was in the room from sight.

Loki turned to face Tony, a wide grin on his face as one of his tentacles reached forward, ready to pull the sea plants back. "May I present, Anthony Stark..."

With a slight flourish, the Cecilia revealed the room beyond, and Tony could swear he felt his jaw hitting the floor of the cave as he stared inside.

"My personal library."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I had Tony ask 'can I visit my pod?' I took the word from like a pod of dolphins, or maybe whales. If anyone can come up with a better name for a group of merpeople, I'm all ears. Also, if you enjoyed this, Starsdidathing just posted a new chapter of "The Heart of a Merman" if you want any similar content to read.
> 
>  
> 
> Comment and Kudos, please!
> 
> Happy new year everyone, I hope to read ya - a lot more - later, this year!!!


End file.
